Improving Staff i-Skills - Jisc

For those promoting staff i-skills, it is not so much the
choice of terms used that is important, but understanding
how the skills in this cycle should be applied in the context
of someone’s work role.
The table below gives some scenarios of where and how
i-skills might be used. You should bear in mind that the
steps in the process are not necessarily discrete nor always
carried out in sequence. They can be applied in many
different contexts.
Identify/assess information need
Planning any new information-related work – a presentation, report or other publication – requires identifying and assessing
information needs. Alternatively, it could be a case of recognising that existing information needs to be updated, added to or
improved, or adapted for a new purpose, dissemination route or medium.
Locate/retrieve
Information can be found in many places, and there are efficient ways to both find and retrieve it - maybe on a website, or via
a search engine. Would you know which browser to use for what purpose, and be able to search efficiently and effectively?
Once the information is located, it may need to be ordered over the Internet or printed – are these processes understood? If
someone is assisting the search, have you briefed them properly about what you are looking for?
Assess/evaluate
If you’re the end customer for the information, you should be in a good position to do this step yourself. If others are involved,
however, do they fully understand the aims and criteria they need to work to? Do you have the skills necessary to evaluate
information from the web as opposed to traditional academic or business sources?
Adapt/create/use
Do you know how to display information effectively, in the most relevant way, and using a range of media, including
electronic? If others prepare this step on your behalf, do you know enough about the capabilities of different media to guide
the process, and assess the outcome?
Organise
Do you (or others in your team) know how to reference sources and manipulate data? Are good records kept of sources
used, and information gathered, for future reference? Do you know how to keep your email files well-organised and free of
unwanted data?
Communicate
How are your presentation skills? What about in an electronic environment? Are you able to adapt the presentation to suit
another environment? Do you know how to upload information onto a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) for dissemination
or sharing with others?
Reflect/review
As with all processes, the last step is to review and reflect on the outcomes, the effectiveness and efficiency of the process,
and whether any improvements or additional information are needed.
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Improving Staff i-Skills